I decided I wanted a knife for the times when I couldn’t carry my firearm, so that I would have some means to protect myself; a self-defense knife if you will. I wanted something that had a clip, so I could wear the knife inside my waistband. I wanted it to be fairly easy to open, so I could release the blade with one hand. It needed to be a good quality knife but I didn’t want to pay an arm and a leg for it either. I looked at many different knives at both local stores and online, eventually settling on the Gerber Torch II Tanto
“Designed by Rick Hinderer, the Gerber Torch II features a matte black tanto blade with drop point, dual thumbstud for one-handed opening, and a finger flip that doubles as a finger guard. The partially serrated 3.5-inch blade is made of surgical-grade 7Cr17MoV stainless steel, while the stainless steel handle has machine-textured G-10 insert for an excellent grip. It includes a pocket clip for easy carry and storage as well as a lanyard attachment. The Torch II measures 8.25 inches when open and 4.75 inches when closed, and it weighs a svelte 5.7 ounces. Backed by a limited lifetime warranty.”
Price: $30 – $40
Pros:
- I love the way this knife looks.
- It’s a Gerber. I actually own other Gerber products, so they’re a company I know and trust.
- Very easy to open.
- I like the finger guard; it adds to a firm grip.
Cons:
- The clip is on the wrong side for a right handed person. To better explain this, in the top picture above, the clip should be on the left side, not the right. If you have the knife clipped in your pocket or waistband, when you draw it, the blade opens into your hand, so you would need to adjust before putting it to use, which defeats the purpose of the quick draw.
- Some knives have the ability to move the clip to another position, not this one.
- It is very easy to open, too easy, actually. I was wearing it inside the top, back of my pants one day, when I had to use the rest room. When I took my pants down, the blade slipped out and cut every layer of skin for about two inches on the top of my right calf. I got lucky; it could have easily cut my calf in two.
My Take
I’m obviously unhappy with the purchase, but I am inclined to believe that the opening problem is a problem with this specific knife and not with Gerber. As I mentioned I own other Gerber products and have always been happy with them.
I looked at several stores near me for a self-defense knife and didn’t see one that was in my price range that I cared for, so I ended up buying it on line. If I would have been able to put my hands on it, I may not have noticed that it opened too easily, but I would have noticed that it opened on the wrong side, and wouldn’t have purchased it.
Even though I didn’t return it, I should have. I give this knife one star.
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